PKB Directory of newsstand comics dealers 2008

If you are into expensive, imported comics as a personal hobby, or see comics as an “artform” reserved only for the visual appreciation of the moneyed elite, who give shallow importance on the flashy, inconsequential outward appearance of a CBG graded comic book such as, but not limited to, its glossy, shiny paper surface, its well-known foreign writers and artists, and its being printed in the U.S., Canada or Hong Kong, with strong, speculative re-sale value, that needs to be encased in plastic, mummified and kept under wraps for thousands of years, then this is not for you. There is nothing to see here. Please move on.

On the other hand if you are among the inquisitive, maligned few, harboring the much besmirched and disparaged idea of helping build a new local mainstream comics industry starting at the grassroots level of low income Filipino readers as base, a readership that is mocked by imported comics elitist-enthusiasts as “cheap”, non-existent and living only in Mars or Jupiter, then this may be of help.

You say you want to know more about the mass market? You want to talk directly to newsstand dealers and get more information on the matter? You say you want to graduate from the insular and enclosed, small world of expensive Pinoy “mini-comics” or “photocopy comics”, and find out if there’s some money to be made as an independent comics publisher in the local mass market?

Most may find this hard to believe, but there are many “bangketa” newsstand dealers out there who want to sell Tagalog/Pilipino comic books other than those of Sterling/Caparas but still priced within the “cheap” Php 15.00 range. If the product is even better, they may even consider a price range not going beyond Php 35.00 to match the standard comics sized “songhits” magazines on their stands.

Some of these dealers currently operate on an arrangement where they make an outright purchase of your title in bulk at a discount rate less cover price. The remainder of course, is their profit or “patong” (or, as the ZTE dealmakers would say: “tong-pats”). The number of unsold copies are then sent back to the publisher and are later exchanged/reimbursed by an equal number of new issues. Who are these dealers specifically? You’ll have to call, ask and negotiate to find out. They are not on any internet komiks blog or chat room, so a certain amount of legwork is involved. If a deal is closed, it is either the dealers who come to the publisher’s Manila office to pick up and purchase your title, or a common drop-off and pick-up point is fixed for the convenience of the parties, usually at the Port Area, Manila, where most of the country’s broadsheet and tabloid newspapers are housed.

If you have a small print run of 5,000 to 10,000 copies some of these dealers are willing to take you on, and may even consider subsidizing a portion of the printing costs depending on the feasibility of your business plan, arrangement or proposition. Your distribution need not be broad or national in scope at first. They suggest that you choose only a few trusted and competent distributor-partners and limit your areas of distribution for a start. Gradually expand from there if economies of scale improve. Remember that the first modern Filipino comic book, “Halakhak” published a few months after the war in 1946 by the late Atty. Jaime Lucas, started at only 10,000 copies. Its follow-up: Don Ramon Roces’ long-running “Pilipino Komiks”, also started on that same print run of 10,000 newsprint copies when it began in 1947 climbing to 120,000 every fortnight in 1961 and to about 600,000 copies a week in 1978.

This is probably the one good thing brought about by the Sterling/Caparas venture into mass market local comics publishing. In their approximately more than six (6) months of operation since September, 2007, almost all newsstand dealers in the country are now open to the idea that the printed medium of local Pilipino comics could stage a comeback.

What is sorely needed however, is variety. At present, the choices are limited only to the retro themed titles of Sterling/Caparas. Thousands, if not millions, of potential local mass market comics readers have varied and diverse tastes and preferences. We are talking of an untapped fifty (50) MILLION adult readership aged 14 to 50 who are mostly low income. That is a self-evident fact. The pie is so big, there’s more than enough room for everyone. To service that demand, there must exist a plethora of separate and independent comics publishers who have diverse editorial viewpoints operating in a free, competitive and fair market. Sterling/Caparas is the only player right now and it has its own audience. What about the rest? Are their reading tastes and preferences being serviced?

The following list is admittedly incomplete. There are more who need to be known and listed. Neither is this a guarantee that all of these dealers play fair. You’ll have to find that out for yourself and if you’re kind enough, please share the information for mutual and future reference. Quid pro quo, bro.

Happy easter.

MANILA DEALERS

Alfredo R. Pascua --- Baclaran---433 4891

Ermilando P. Galos --- Quiapo, Manila --- 704 5301 - 0905 324 4955

Errol V. Felices --- Manila --- 0915 976 850

Felicidad Lising --- Manila --- 733 4169- 533 3479

Raul S. Echano --- Manila --- 0905 324 6789

Marvic Lumayno --- Paco, Manila--- 0921 966 4267

Ernesto Jaudian Jr. --- 0916 411 1142

Dennis Capitan --- 0920 918 0908

Albert Solidarios Jr.--- 0921 640 1249- (034) 433 1138

LAS PIÑAS, PARAÑAQUE, MUNTINLUPA, ALABANG DEALERS

Rommel P. Landas --- Las Pinas --- 0917 917 6662 - 875 1616

Ferdinand Manzano --- Paranaque/ Alabang --- 519 4060

PASAY CITY DEALERS

Sofia P. Inay --- Pasay City --- 854 72 70

Romulo Maboy --- Pasay City--- 851 3420

MANDALUYONG CITY DEALERS

Clemencia Sibayan --- Mandaluyong City --- 535 43 80

Regina Sibayan --- Mandaluyong City --- 415 3790

QUEZON CITY DEALERS

Juanito P. Corra --- Quezon City --- 412 8596

Wilfredo Sarsonas --- Quezon City --- 749 7169

Romeo Bule --- Quezon City --- 350 2039

Eduardo Maceda Jr. --- Quezon City --- 415 3790

Carlito Corro --- Quezon City --- 415 37 90

Rhodora R. De Vera --- Quezon City --- 0920 254 8384

Ben Tabiana --- Quezon City --- 0926 751 0842

LUZON DEALERS

Neil R. Bautista --- Santiago City, Isabela --- (078) 682 1025 - 0906 927 4023

Cesar Caburian --- Ilocos Sur --- (072) 888 1512

Jane Caburian --- La Union --- (072) 705 1435

Lerma Carillo --- Agoo, La Union --- 0917 564 2800

Julie/ Carlos Catbagan --- Pangasinan --- 0918 639 8014

Allan V. Quitoriano --- Pangasinan --- 0928 253 0226

Concepcion V. Dungca --- Tarlac, Pangasinan --- 0917 453 4668

Edmundo S. Ordinario --- Villasis, Pangasinan--- 0921 484 8488

Leo S. Ordinario --- Rosales, Pangasinan --- (075) 582 3378

Virgie Lumayno --- Antipolo City--- 0921 966 4267

Dominador Lubian --- Cavite --- 853 6374

VISAYAS DEALERS

Atty. Raymund J. A. Mercado & Marylou Mercado --- Dumaguete City---(035) 225 5079 – (035) 225 5796

Mr. Ferdinand & Mrs. Alma T. Mercado ---Tagbilaran City, Bohol --0918 927 1090 Alma cel.

Henry Velasco --- Bacolod City --- 443 4891

Mr.& Mrs. Bernardo S. Cruz --- Samar, Leyte --- 0916 791 5366 - 0916 228 5505

Pedro C. Ruina --- Surigao City --- 0919 583 0108- (086) 232 6955

Eduardo V. Clavero --- Pagadian City --- 0918 331 1111 – (062) 214 4444

Ma. Theresa Ybanez --- Cebu City --- 0917 546 7285 – (032) 255 6504

Ma. Cecilia V. Yap --- Cebu City --- (032) 234 4583

Hansen Dongallo --- Cebu City --- 0915 847 9384 - (032) 421 31 78

Edmund Enriquez --- Cebu City --- (032) 412 1035)

Gerry Agcaoili --- Cebu City --- 0910 670 3932

Jorge R. Villanueva --- Cebu City --- (032) 416 1717 - 0926 200 5122

MINDANAO DEALERS

Rico Onate --- Davao City --- 0920 921 0703

Marivic S. Gan --- Davao City --- 0917 705 5174

Thelma D. Peralta --- Cotabato City --- 0905 933 0087

Catalina T. Boro --- Cotabato City --- 0920 340 0941

Pete Marquez --- Cotabato City --- (064) 421 3264

Kristel Dimalanta --- General Santos City --- 0919 553 9888